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--- Pantelas V. Th e forests of bru tia pin e in Cypru s. Le pin d'Alep et le pin brutia dans la sylviculture méditerranéenne. Paris : CIHEAM, 1986. p. 43-46 (Options Méditerranéennes : Série Etudes; n. 1986-I) ---
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The forests of brutia pine in Cyprus
V. Pantelas
Senior Conservator of Forests Ministry of Agriculture and
Natural Resources Nicosia (CYPRUS)
Key words : Brutia Pine. Cyprus. Forestry.
ABSTRACT
Brutia Pine is the main forest species in Cyprus growing from sea level up to the 1,600 m altitude. Its fo-
rests represent about 90 of 175,000 ha.
Most of these forests were classified as currently unexploitable after a recently carried out inventory whilst some 44,000 ha were classified as currently exploitable. Fellings are confined in the latter, with an annual wood output of 57,000 cubic meters round over bark. This wood is utilized locally for the production of sawn timber, chipboard, box-shooks, charcoal and other minor wood products.
About 6,000 ha. of the Pinus brutia forests have been selected and preliminarily classified either as National Forests Parks to provide amenities to the public, or as Nature Reserves for nature conservation.
The main enemy of the Pinus brutia forests in Cyprus is forests fire and much resources are yearly spent by the Forestry Department for fire prevention and fighting.
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Damages from biotic agents such as insects and fungi are less significant.BIOLOGY
Brutia pine grows all over the Island from sea level to about 1,600 m. elevation. Above this level it is replac- ed by the Black pine ( f i n u s nigra var. caramanica) which .is found growing up to the highest point of Cyprus, the summit of Chionistra (1,952 m). Between 1,300 and 1,600 m. it forms mixed stands with the Black pine.
Brutia pine shows an admirable power of withstand- drought and the high temperature range.
Average annual precipitation in the altitudinal zone occupied by Brutia pine, ranges from mm to a maximum of 1,000 mm at highest altitudes, The main bulk of precipitation (about 80 % of the total) falls dur- ing November and March ; the period from May to September is a biologically dry period, as mean monthly air temperature exceeds mean monthly pre- cipitation.
Brutia pine is growing on all types of rock formations.
Its optimum development however, is observed on slightly acid soils originating from igneous rocks, on altitudes between 600 and 1,300 m where average an- nual precipitation ranges from 500 to 900 mm.
On alkaline soils which are usually found on lower al- titudes originating mainly from sedimentary rocks, there is a marked falling off in maximum height and in form.
On good sites at an age of about 80 years it reaches 25 m .in height and 70 cm in diameter where on best sites mature trees, attain the height of 40 m and a dia- meter of over 100 cm.
On poor sites, however, mature trees hardly attain the height of 12 m and the diameter of 40 cm.
! ing the two trying features of the Cyprus climate, the
Pollination starts in mid-April and is extended up to the end of May on highest altitudes. Seeds ripen in Ju- ne-July two years later and are shed between mid-Au- gust and mid-September of the same year.
Seeds have a high germinative capacity, reaching the 85 per cent under laboratory conditions and seedlings exhibit also a satisfactory viability.
After germination the seedlings are small, usually with
when extremely high temperature values occur, many trees may die especially when growing on shallow soils of windsuffering sites.
MANAGEMENT Past Management
During the last 50 years and until recently the Brutia pine forests have been managed with the Group Se- lection System.
It has been a long time since it was realized that the above System is not suitable for Brutia pine but its replacement has been delayed for different reasons.
This System proved to be unsuitable mainly because Brutia pine is a strong light demanding species and besides, the exhausting root competition for moisture which is a critical factor in Cyprus, leads to insuffi- cient development of natural regeneration.
The application of the above Silvicultural System to- gether with some other reasons has resulted in the degradation of the Brutia pine forests.
Present Management
The State Forests of Cyprus are classified into two main categories, the Main State and Minor State For- ests. The latter may be Communal or Municipal For- ests, Grazing areas, Nursery Gardens or Multiple Use Forests. The Main State Forests are further classified into three categories as follows :
a) Permanent Forest Reserves, managed primarily for production of timber and other forest pro- ducts ;
b) National Forest Parks, managed to provide re- creation and amenities to the general public and c) Nature Reserve Areas, managed for the complete and permanent protection of the flora and fauna.
A Forest Inventory carried out recently by the Fores- try Department of Cyprus, in the Brutia pine current- ly exploitable forests which are managed as Perma- nent Forest Reserves and National Parks areas, show- ed that :
a) The forests are understocked (70 m3/ha) with a large proportion of mature and overmature (60 %) standing trees.
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8611b) The mean annual Volume Increment is about 1.9 %, i.e., 1.4 m 3 per year, per hectare, and c) Natural regeneration is not sufficient to replace
the removals of trees from the annual cut.
Ttie Growing Stock of the enumerated area was esti- mated at about 3,130,000 m 3 ROB where the expect- ed Periodic Volume Increment. for the decade 1982-1991, at 585,000 m 3 ROB.
The annual yield was fixed at 57,000 m 3 ROB, a little smaller than the corresponding increment.
The rotation is about 110 years and a tree is consi- dered mature for felling after attaining a diameter at breast height of 50 to 60 cm.
The Group Selection System is now replaced in cer- tain areas and under certain conditions by heavier fel- lings which can be considered as Clearfellings. The main difference is that young trees under 30 years are retained in the felling coup. The new System is con- fined to mature and overmature, usually irregular stands growing in Permanent Forest Reserve areas, cultivable by machinery and found away from touris- tic roads, nature trails and popular paths.
The Group Selection System is still applied in Natio- nal Forest Parks and in that areas of the Permanent Forest Reserves at which no Clearfellirigs are carried out.
No fellings are carried out in Nature Reserve areas.
With the introduction of the new System and the application of the new management recommenda- tions derived from the mentioned inventory, the Grow- ing Stock is expected to reach 200 m3 per hectare and the annual increment to increase at 5 m 3 per year, per hectare within a period of a rotation.
REGENERATION
Clearfellings are usually followed by artificial regene- ration where the natural one is not sufficient to re- place the removals.
Artificial regeneration is carried out either by sowing or by planting on terraces that are constructed with heavy machinery. Terraces are constructed on hill- sides with a ground inclination below 30 degrees.
These may have an inward (catastrips) or an outward (cataslopes) inclination of about 10 % and a width ranging from 2.70 to a 3.5 m.
Before sowing or planting, the soil is cultivated. Plant- ing is usually done in pits where sowing is performed by broad casting and covering the seeds with a thin layer of earth using a rake.
Terracing has been proved to be a very effective mean of protecting soils from erosion, improving the soil moisture conditions and tree growth in general.
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PROTECTION
Protection against fire
Despite the fact that the prevailing arid conditions in Cyprus and the type of vegetation favor forest fires the annually burnt area is relatively small.
The mean forest area burnt in the last ten years was about 200 ha per year, i.e. 0.1 % of the total forest area. This is mainly due to the preventive and fight- ing measures taken by the Forestry Department the main of which are the following :
Organization of a Fire Fighting-Task Force during the dry season, whose members are employed in strategic points of the forest being ready for im- mediate action in case of a fire.
During summer months, a number of Fire Look- Out Stations established on high peaks in the for- est is manned on a 24 hour basis, in order to de- tect and report forest fires.
The already existing dense forest road network is improved and extended every year. Besides, fire traces are opened where necessary and the exist- ing are cleared of the vegetation cover every 2 or 3 years accordingly.
A considerable number of hydrants and water tanks have been constructed in several properly selected points of the forest, in order to supply with water the fire engines in cases of fires.
Daily mobile patrols are carried out during the dry season especially along the delimitation line, ad- vising and warning villagers not to start a fire.
A very good Telecommunication system exists in the forest and the forest stations, 'consisting of 440 telephone instruments. In addition a large number of portable and mobile radiotelephone is available ; all Forest Officials working in the forest and all vehicles are equipped with these.
Forest Officials give lectures every year on the prevention and suppression of a forest fire to the National Guard, Police and the Public and Schools.
A significant number of fire vehicles and fire pumps have been recently acquired, making fire fighting task more effective.
Protection against Insects and fungi.
Insects
Many insects live in Brutia pine forests in Cyprus causing damages, which however, are not of signifi- cant economic importance. The main insects attack- ing Brutia pine in Cyprus are the following :
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Alaus Parrayssi, Ster. .-
Melanotus fusciceps, Gyll.-
Chalcophora detrita, KI.The Forest Policy in Cyprus as regards the insect pest control, is the taking of preventive measures other than fighting ones.
The insect species that causes a noticeable damage to Brutia pine trees is that of T. wilkinsoni. Spraying against this insect is carried out by plane, using Ba- cillus thurigiensis, Ber. In addition to air spraying, smaller areas are treated by hand spraying. Control measures for this insect are confined to young plan- tations and popular forest areas.
Fungi
Amongst the various species attacking Brutia pine in Cyprus, only a few are of practical importance in Cyprus Forestry.
An important group of fungi causing severe damage to Brutia pine seedlings is that of the genera Fusa- rium, Pythium etc. These fungi cause the "Damping- o f f , of young seedlings. The control of this disease is done by taking some preventing measures such as, sowing at small depths, avoiding heavy soils with pH over 7, soaking of seeds prior to sowing with fun- . . gicide solutions, etc.
',- . Another worth mentioning fungi which causes heart-
' 'rot in Brutia pine is Trametes pini. Other fungi spe- cies of less importance are Armillaria mellea and Fom-
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the Cyprus Forest Industries which is a public com- pany, where the remaining 22,000 m 3 are sold to pri- vate ones.
The wood of Brutia pine is used in Cyprus for differ- ent purposes the main of which are the following : Sawn Timber : This is produced by Goth Forest In- dustries and Private ones. It is used as construc- tional timber but .also for furniture of traditional style which shows an increasing demand in local and foreign market.
Chipboard : It is exclusively produced by the Cyprus Forest Industries.
Box-shooks : For the production of wood-boxes sold to farmers for fruit storing and transportation.
A proportion of these are exported.
Charcoal : Charcoal is produced by private com- panies in the tumulus or "bee hire" type of earth kilns or in metal ones. The yield of charcoals with metal kilns is higher than in eartti kilns, varying from 25 to 30 % in the formers where in earth kilns is only about 15 %. The quality of charcoal pro- duced is of good quality but of lower than this produced from hard wood species (e.g. Golden oak).
Fuelwood : Branchwood and defective wood that cannot be ortherwise used are sold to private in- dividuals as fuelwood. Demand is high, and pri- ority is given to villagers near forests..
Miscellaneous : The wood of Brutia pine is also for some other purposes of less importance such as tool handles, poles, etc.
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